Friday’s NBA schedule is jam-packed with 10 games for bettors to dive into, including one of our favorite betting trends going this season.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been a tough team to back against the spread this season, but not when it comes to the first half. The Bucks' propensity for quick starts has given them plenty of value when it comes to the first-half spread. That’s right, it’s the return of Fear the first-half Deer.
Let’s start our weekend with a bang, as we break down the NBA odds for that and more with our best free NBA picks and predictions for Friday, January 29.
NBA Picks for Today
Milwaukee Bucks vs New Orleans Pelicans
No one really cares about what the Milwaukee Bucks do in the regular season anymore. Except for NBA bettors, that is. While the Bucks have been a tough team to back going just 8-9 ATS this season, the same can’t be said for the first half of games.
Even though the Bucks have struggled to cover full-game numbers, their fast starts have made them a very profitable bet when it comes to first-half spreads. The Bucks are 12-5 against the first-half number this season and that includes 11-3 over their last 14 games, thanks largely to their high-octane offense.
Milwaukee leads the NBA in offensive rating and offensive efficiency, and a good portion of that damage is done in the first half. The Bucks lead the NBA in first-half scoring at 61.8 points and average margin at plus 8.1.
While Milwaukee's offense is as up-tempo as it comes, the New Orleans Pelicans move like they have clipped wings. New Orleans ranks 23rd in pace, 18th in offensive rating, and has a first-half scoring margin of plus 0.8. The Pels will have trouble keeping up with the Bucks’ fast starts.
PREDICTION: Bucks -3.5 First Half Spread (-110)
Sacramento Kings vs Toronto Raptors
It’s time for another edition of how can we take advantage of the Sacramento Kings' historically awful defense.
This one is pretty simple. No one in the NBA shoots more from beyond the arc than the Toronto Raptors, who jack up 43.2 3-point shots per game, while the Kings own the league’s worst perimeter defense, ranking dead last in opponent 3-point field goal percentage. Sacramento is allowing teams to shoot nearly 40 percent from long range.
Leading the way for the Raptors in this category is Fred VanVleet. The guard takes a whopping 8.9 shots from 3-point range each game, and while he tends to be streaky with his shooting, this may be the perfect spot to back his made threes prop.
Not only are the Kings bad at guarding shooters, VanVleet hardly ever has consecutive poor shooting performances. VanVleet has made two or fewer threes seven times this season but has responded by averaging 4.3 made threes in the following game.
After going 2-11 from deep last time out vs. Milwaukee, we’re betting that VanVleet is betting on himself in this matchup.
PREDICTION: Fred VanVleet Over 3.5 Made Threes (-115)
Denver Nuggets vs San Antonio Spurs
Western Conference foes clash when the San Antonio Spurs host the red-hot Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets have won five games in a row and covered the spread in each contest, while the Spurs have notched wins in consecutive ball games.
It should be no surprise that Nikola Jokic is leading the way for the Nuggets over this five-game stretch. The Joker is one of the betting favorites to win the NBA MVP award this season, averaging 25.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game. And it's the rebounding numbers that stand out in this matchup against the shot-happy Spurs.
San Antonio takes more shots per game than any team in the NBA. Combine that with the fact they rank 25th in opponent total rebounds per game and Jokic’s rebounding total is too tempting to pass up. At 10.5 it’s a number he’s gone Over in five of the last seven games, and in the two games he didn’t, he pulled down 10 boards. Bet the Joker to keep cleaning up the glass in this one.
PREDICTION: Nikola Jokic Over 10.5 Rebounds (-115)
Top NBA Consensus for Today
Want to know who today's biggest NBA betting and consensus bets are right now? Check out our top NBA consensus picks.
Yesterday's picks: 1-2 (-1.09 units)
Season record to date: 52-46-1 (+1.84 units)
NBA Betting Card for January 29
- Bucks -3.5 First Half Spread (-110)
- Fred VanVleet Over 3.5 Made Threes (-115)
- Nikola Jokic Over 10.5 Rebounds (-115)
NBA Parlays
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA betting picks, you could win $56.73 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on the NBA?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NBA moneylines, spreads, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NBA prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NBA odds in your area.
